A Winter Flight
by Capsicle Games
Summary: Tony ends up in the middle of a freezing forest after a fight with Loki.
1. Chapter 1

Frost clung to long eyelashes, snowflakes occasionally drifting down to chill his cheek even more. He sniffled a bit, his breath coming out in clouds. Tony Stark was definitely not in Malibu anymore.

Stranded out in the middle of a freezing forest out in the middle of nowhere, Tony was totally lost. His suit had crashed there while he was unconscious; he had no power left. This was all due to a battle he had with Loki back at his Malibu place. The Asgardian had a little temper tantrum and somehow Tony ended up knee-deep in snow.

He shuffled around for a while longer before coming to a clearing. Loki was leaning against a tree, clearly waiting for him. He didn't look bothered at all by the snow; in fact, his skin looked oddly faintly blue. It was weird, but really no concern of Tony's. The iron man was just clad in a thin short-sleeved shirt and jeans. He wished he brought a heavy sweater. The two regarded each other silently before Tony finally spoke up.

"What do you want from me? Why do you keep creeping on me, it's starting to get obsessive."

"I think you already know," Loki glared, the fake smile washing right off his face. "I need an army."

"And I'm not interested." Tony clenched his jaw.

"Then we have nothing left to discuss." Loki's hands started to glow an ominous green, a ball of light pulsing from his palms. Tony took that as a sign to start walking backwards as the energy coming from it seemed to grow. "You will die a heroes death, just like you seem so determined to. I can't have you live if you know about my initiatives. I'm sorry Stark."

Tony's eyes widened and he started running just as one orb of energy blasted past his neck. It had lightly singed his skin causing him to falter. He tried to hold the armor on his back so that it wouldn't weigh him down too much; JARVIS was in his helmet and could be his only way home. But it was really getting in his way, causing him to slip a few times. He blindly ran for his life.

Infinite Lokis seemed to pop right out from behind trees, most carrying small daggers, a few just taunting him. Tony felt so confused and disorientated, out of breath after a while. He got stabbed in the shoulder by the duplicates twice and was sporting another light slash against his side. Before long, he couldn't take it anymore, and he collapsed from exhaustion, weight, and pain. Ice cold water sloshed right in his face and resurfaced before he could drown. Somehow he had halfway fallen into a frozen pond.

He was going to die out there in the cold, his bones would be frozen. At least for that moment he was free from the assaulting villain; he wouldn't have long though. Tony threw the armor off to the side onto dry ground. He searched through it, trying to find something that would help him. JARVIS was still rebooting.

He paused when he spotted one of his gauntlets. It had only a little bit of charge left in it but it was good for defense. He cracked open the inside and shakily rearranged some things with a twig he found on the ground. When he was done, he jammed it up, and waited to fire the makeshift bomb he made. The precise moment where Tony lost all feeling in his arm was the moment the original Loki appeared from the shadows. He could tell by the green orbs, now covering his whole arms.

"It's over." came the curt voice of the Asgardian. Tony shook his head and shakily got back on his feet. The numbness was taking over, he was starting to feel dizzy.

"I've never seen that part trick before. Freshly learned?" he shot back, giving Loki most of his remaining snark.

When the villain opened his mouth to spit a reply, Tony took action. He set off the gauntlet, threw it right at him, and made a run for it. He heard the distinctive _boom_, a groan, a few thuds on the ground, but all that didn't stop him. He put all he could into getting distance between him and Loki. He needed a longer moment to get JARVIS up and running.

But then he felt something jump right onto his back, effectively knocking him over. His armor crashed into the snow, scattering across the bleak landscape. Tony's brown eyes darted around, trying to see what had attacked him. It was a wolf, about as tall as his waist. Before he could exactly what was happening, it attacked him, digging sharp claws through his thin shirt.

He tried to fight back, kicking and dodging most lunges the creature came at him with, but he was too weak. The wolf's white pelt was soon streaked with his blood and fangs poised at his throat. Just when he felt it was all over, that he just had the worst luck ever, the animal fell cold to the side, green smoke tinging it's flank. Tony's vision started to dim, everything blurring around him. He was numb, too numb, and far too injured.

For a split second he saw piercing green eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul. He wanted to say something - he couldn't recall what - but it was too late. The darkness took over his mind, stopping any further thought. It was over.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little drabble. I should be working on How Cold Have You Become but I got writer's block! This should cure it and I assure you I'll update it on time. We're just getting started on that.**

**I might add one more chapter to this, I don't know. Whatever. Rate, review, laugh at it, whatever you see fit.**


	2. Chapter 2

Light.

Everywhere.

But yet Tony's eyes weren't open. No. They were still too heavy, sealed tight as if the rims were sealed with hot glue. No matter how hard he tried to open them, he found he couldn't move. He felt a hand on his chest. It was cold, too cold. Everything was cold around him. Now he understood how Captain America probably felt frozen solid. _Panicked._

Where was he? Was he dead?

Cause' if he was dead, this wasn't exactly his idea of afterlife. Where were the gorgeous virgin men and women who were supposed to go swimming with him in a hot tub? Wasn't he supposed to be bouncing around on a freaking cloud? What happened to feeling at peace? He wanted his money back, death was such a scam. But then again, maybe the joke was on him. He didn't believe in the afterlife.

_"I'm so sorry, Stark."_

The voice came muffled and distant. He tried to move his head in the general direction. It worked. He managed to tilt his head at a slight angle. He tried to open his mouth to speak but found it also felt glued shut. No surprise there. He figured whatever magical force or whatever he was experiencing would want to shut his snark up.

But who had said that? The voice was held with laced regret although it was slightly withheld. As if it were sorry, but not quite. If that made any sense? His thoughts were so scrambled together, each one picking up speed and ramming together. He felt like he was developing a migraine and he wanted to shut out the bright light now.

"_You had so much potential. We could have done so much more."_

It was closer now, the words clearer. Familiar. He mentally shrunk back, a flash of pain entering his temple. He had gotten mauled by a wolf. That had hurt. Parts of his body was still stinging. The pain rushed on to him at once. He wriggled a bit in discomfort, a migraine paired with battle injuries did not help him at all.

He feels the hand lift and return to brush strands of his hair out his face. Each touch seems to start cooling down his migraine. Whoever it was doing that was blocking out some of the light. He wanted to thank him for it until he realized...the voice belonged to Loki. Tony wanted to say something so badly, anything to ask his enemy what was going on. And maybe he'd-

He felt his breath on his forehead before the soft sensation of lips pressed against his skin registered in his brain. But the contact lasted mere seconds before he felt the breath again.

"But that's another life."

Tony's eyes opened.

And Loki smiled down at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Holy shit, I'm actually making this into a mini-story? Even when I'm striving to finish HCHYB in around 15 more chapters? Well, thank you for the follows and reviews! Hang on for this ride, though destination will be soon. I cannot promise you a happy ending though. I've been craving some angst lately.**

* * *

"The kiss of life. Wonderful, isn't it Anthony?" Loki mumbled, green eyes piercing as usual. Tony could not quite read anything behind them though.

"What?" was all Tony could manage, his voice hoarse. It sounded like he had tried to swallow a handful of marbles. Definitely at his worse.

"You live! You should be thanking me, you dull creature." he spat.

"'Dull'? Y-you were...you just..." Tony choked, his throat engulfing in pain every time he formed a word.

"You were almost killed by my hands, yes," Loki said flippantly, finally revealing hints of rage in his gaze. "But then a wolf intervened, ripped out your throat, and splattered _your_ blood all over the place. So rude, and though it would befit someone like you, such a random death is not heroic."

"You...saved me-"

"Yes."

"-because I...I-"

"You what?" he snapped.

"-didn't die...the way..you _want..ed_."

"I do not see why we must be redundant here." Now Loki was openly glaring at him, taking a step backwards. Tony watched warily.

"I'm...going to..die again. Now?"

"You're so stupid!" Loki threw his arms up in exasperation. "How did you manage to invent so many things with that thick skull of yours? I promised you a heroic death! A death like that means you die in battle. Nobly. For now we both are to heal and then we will battle again."

Loki paused to point in the direction of an old wooden door. "In the snow."

"You're insane." Tony couldn't help but say after a few beats of silence. "Very, very, _very_ crazy."

"If I were you, Stark, I'd watch my tongue."

"Loki...es loko. Loko...Loki." Hell, Tony was willing to take that risk of using humor. This was the end of the line, there was no way he'd survive this. He didn't survive the first time.

He expected Loki to throw a punch his way, but the villain didn't. Instead he just sighed and took a seat in a small wooden chair. Smiled again. _Weirdo._

Tony took the opportunity to survey the place really quick. It was a small log cabin, big enough for two main rooms. The room he was in with Loki was probably the bedroom. It didn't take a genius to figure that out as Tony was sprawled over a springy king-sized bed with a thin blanket to offer little warmth. There was a small window on the wall behind the bed frame and a warm light bulb hanging from the ceiling that flooded the place in soft light. The only other pieces of furniture there was a table, a wooden chair, and a tiny wardrobe. He had no clue what the other room looked like; he could only spy the tall worn door.

"Yeah...and how...long do I...have until...you...kill me Rudolph."

"Loki."

"Right..."

"Give it about a week." he whistled, playing with his hands and still smiling.

"_Week?_"

"It appears I've used up all my magic battling you and then saving your life." And then the smile disappeared again, him taking on the previous rage. "Do you know how much it takes out of me to practically bring back the dead? To breathe life into you, to fight off the wolves for enough time? To heal?"

"You didn't...have to-"

"But I did. Say that again and I'll slit your throat." he hissed. He visibly calmed down and adopted an expression that showed slight care. "Now it would be best if you went back to sleep. You need to heal and we've made too much noise already. They're probably circling around now."

"They?" Tony asked, immediately getting shushed by his enemy who had stood up again. Loki took the blanket, relaid it over Tony, and gave him a good glare to tell him to shut up. And just then, a loud and wild howl could be heard through the walls of the cabin. As if it were a cue, many, many, _many_ more joined in, almost as if thousands of voices were unified. Tony felt his heart skip a beat, and looked into Loki's eyes.

"The wolves."


	4. Chapter 4

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing the second time he woke up. "You mean...to tell me...you can't use your...magic mojo to zap...some rabid wolves...away?"

"I'm fresh out of magic. You're being redundant-"

"What the hell! They're...just wolves!" Tony nearly yelled, exasperated. This was getting too ridiculous for him to handle. "You destroy...whole sections of...New York every week and...you mean to tell...me you can't take...care of a couple of animals?"

"It is not just a couple," he hissed. "It's a rather large pack. Probably two packs that merged together. They are rather ferocious and I suspect they are not your ordinary Midgardian wolves. They've been...tampered with. Enhanced."

"You haven't tried-"

"I have." Loki set down a bowl on the table and pulled up a chair. "They almost ripped my arm off while I was saving you. They're savage and rather bloodthirsty."

"So...should we feed them?"

"And have them come back for more? Sure, if you'd like to die of an empty stomach." he gestured to the chair. "For now, you won't. Sit. Eat."

"No." Tony said immediately narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Yeah, so maybe the crazy guy did save his life. Maybe he did give him shelter. But Tony was not going to put whatever "food" Loki cooked up for him in his mouth. That was taking everything too far. With how unstable Loki always seemed, he couldn't tell whether he would change his mind about keeping him alive or not.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked, mirroring the iron man's expression. "Are you jesting with me? You do not want to eat the food I worked hard on for you?"

"I'm positive."

The two had a long staring match and the air seemed to crackle with the tension. Finally, after what was eternity, Loki simply shrugged and adopted the smile he had on his face the day before. "Suit yourself, Stark. I truly do not give a care with what you do. I'm not going to force anything down your throat."

And with that he sat down himself and helped himself to the food he had offered Tony. Of course he made sure to make a show of scooping out a spoonful of soup and putting it gracefully in his mouth. The food actually looked delicious. The broth was a nice gold littered with seasoning. Chicken, carrots, and thick noodles floated around in it. Tony tried to swallow his regret.

Loki kept his little show on for a good few minutes, commenting about how _delicious_ and elegant the dish was. He even threw his head back for dramatic purposes before he stopped and put the spoon down. His face hardened and he started looking more concerned.

"Look," he began slowly. "I apologize. I do care and you need to eat. You are no use dead."

"Sure." Tony couldn't help but reply sarcastically. Loki's response was to get up and carry the bowl to him. He simply pushed it into his hands along with the spoon and went back to his perch. Tony looked down at the contents of the container and raised a brow. Loki must've eaten half because the rest of the soup took up half the bowl. That was rather generous of him...

"I don't think...you get sarcasm." Tony mumbled.

"Stop listening to the sound of your wretched voice and eat." Loki said sharply.

"Whatever...mom."

Tony was still paranoid about the food, but he started shoveling spoonfuls into his mouth and swallowing. It was not nearly as good as it looked, but it was food. He wanted to stop eating it when he realized him and Loki were sharing the same spoon. The thought of the man-who-wanted-to-kill-him-soon's saliva in his mouth repulsed him. But he was too hungry to be petty. The whole time everyone's friendly neighborhood goat watched him with a dark expression, eyes taking in every movement Tony made. When he finally finished, Loki took his bowl and went into the other room. He came back with a plastic cup of water and shoved it into the iron man's hands.

"Where are you...getting all of this?"

"The pantry, you idiot."

"We have a pantry?"

"Bilgesnipe."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry," Loki rolled his eyes. "I thought we were listing things that do not matter."

"Where my food...comes from matters." Tony said.

"Not while you're with me," The frost giant glared toward the door. "And not while _they're _out there."

* * *

The rest of the day trudged on painfully slow. The two had nothing to do but rest which meant sleep. When they were awake, they'd simply glare at each other. The wolves usually woke them up.

"Why the hell...are they still here?" Tony complained once the sun started setting. Loki walked into the bedroom where Tony hadn't really moved from his bed all day. The frost giant carried a can of vegetable soup in hand, the lid somehow removed. He hadn't bothered with this time. Lazy ass, Tony thought to himself, not caring how much of a hypocrite he was. He was simply venting his frustration of being confined to a bed since he felt too faint to move around. "Shouldn't they...be bored by now?"

"I do not know why." Loki said simply, scooping out some soup with the spoon before replacing it in the can. He handed it to Tony who did the same before handing it back. They had decided to take turns like that when they ate lunch. It was just something to keep busy with as they didn't do too much talking (even though Tony was still shocked that he was actually sharing a spoon with Loki).

Loki was a closed book. He did not look like he wanted to make any conversation other than that involving wolves, magic, food, or health.

Tony was the same way, but really only because he knew they were enemies. You don't behave too friendly with a guy trying to kill you in the near future.

"Well...they need to go. Before they...rip us apart."

"We're safe in here."

"For how long?" Tony countered, and the sound of claws scraping against wood broke the moment of silence. They both turned toward the source of the noise. "See that? You say...they are enhanced...right? You saw the damage...one did to us. Can we...fight off a whole pack?"

"I see," Loki sighed. "We are going to run out of food and water within the week anyway. Who knows when they'll give up?"

"I'm thinking never." Tony said. "We need a plan."

Loki slowly nodded and smirked. "What do you propose?"

* * *

**A/N: Hmm I guess you'll just have to see if it's going to end up frostiron or not. Enjoy the wonders of an answer that is not definite! Thanks for the reviews/follows. Enjoy.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh no, that does _not_ look good, let me just-"

"Why do you care?" Loki jerked his injured arm away with a snarl. Blood splattered the nearby wall and onto the bed which was a few feet away from the trickster's feet. He swayed a little, and stumbled to the side as if nothing had happened. As if his arm was not practically ripped to shreds, a large claw mark was not healing on his chin, and he still had the inches of hair missing on his left side.

"I care," Tony moved forward persistently, first aid kit in one of his injured hands. "Because you're my only way out of here. We need to work-"

"_Together_, I know." he snapped. "Since being stuck here with me has convinced you to become my trusted servant. I'm rather touched."

"I was going to say 'we need to work on a better barricade before they come back." Tony quipped. "But feel free to flatter yourself if you want, princess."

"What do you propose to use as a shield then? They took the kitchen, the only room with anything useful."

"We still have supplies though."

"Because I dragged them here! They are limited, and if you suggest stacking them against the thin wooden door, then you must be an idiot. Please, enlighten me on your more intelligent solution."

"Let's use the chair," Tony suggested, swallowing his hurt pride. He _was_ going to suggest using some of the cans. "We'll just stack empty cans together as our new chairs, ok? Or use the bed."

"I was going to use the chair to make a staff." Loki argued. "I need another weapon."

"Well I tried!" Tony exasperatedly threw his arms in the air.

"Whatever."

* * *

They had been attacked in the middle of the night. The wolves had attempted to siege their shelter, nearly succeeding. The men were caught off guard, and by the time they prepared to fight back, the creatures had already entered the kitchen. They were large, too large, and had a strange glow around their pelts. Each one had a snout full of meat-shredding teeth and none hesitated in trying to rip their arms open.

Loki had fought back with the chair. He managed to subdue a few. Tony had gotten hold of a leg of the table and started swinging desperately. Somehow the two of them fought them off until they were back behind the door frame. Tony was about to slam the door shut, stack the table against the door, the nine yards, but Loki stopped him. Summoning the tiny fragment of magic he managed to regain, he ran into the room and grabbed as many supplies as he could. He grabbed whole piles of food cans, throwing them into the bedroom without looking where they landed.

Pushing his way past fangs, he grabbed first aid kits, lighters, water, silverware, even a couple of old books. And then he fought his way back to the doorway, aimed his palms at the flurry of fur, and set the kitchen on fire.

He had pushed Tony against the bed in cover, himself shielding the iron man from any more danger. The two ignored the blood dripping from their wounds and instead listened warily to the feral howls of the wolves. Smoke soon filled the room, making everything hot and dark. Tony cautiously turned his head so he was looking at the man laying on top of him. He wanted to yell at him, tell him they needed to get out of there. But he noticed the sorcerer had an intense look of focus on his face and beads of sweat. Loki was silently mumbling, counting down quietly.

After ten more seconds of uncertainty of his fate, Tony opened his mouth to yell only to be shushed by the god. Loki had reached zero and suddenly the light of the flamed under the door faded away. Most of the smoke went with it. It was eerily quiet.

The two stayed in their position until hours later. They wanted to be sure they wouldn't be ripped apart when they got up.

* * *

"Your soup, your majesty." Tony said as he opened a new can of chicken noodle soup. He poured it into the bowl cold, stirred it up, and mockingly got on one knee in front of Loki who was sitting on the edge of the bed. The frost giant was busy patching up his wounds. He didn't offer to help Tony with his, so Tony was sporting some thrown-together gauze and tape.

Loki simply grabbed the bowl, rolling his eyes, and spent a second glaring at Tony before going back to his task at hand. The iron man stood up and rolled his eyes back.

"Y'know, something I've noticed," Tony continued. "Is that I can talk again without sounding like the Godfather. Cool, hey?"

"Not at all. Now I have to hear your annoying voice."

"You know you love it."

"Not as much as you."

"How many wolves did you think we killed off in that bonfire of ours?" Tony changed the subject.

"How should I know?" Loki drawled, finalizing his handiwork and zipping everything away.

"Would that magic fire of yours...leave bodies?"

"Most of the times." Loki responded, took his share of the soup, and handed it back to his companion. "We'll check on the kitchen later. I think they might come back with a new wave."

"Right," Tony sighed, and slumped against the wall to finish off the soup.


End file.
